Launceston grades D− overall against UK towns: better than 5% of UK towns, and #24 of 35 in Cornwall. Its strongest subject is walkability (B+): 18% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is jobs & income (D): mean household income £42,760; 3.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. The median home sold for £195,000 in the last three years, 4.2 times what households in the Cornwall council area earn in a year.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Launceston is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Launceston.
History
205 listed buildings, 7 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Launceston has 205 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 7 Grade I, 14 Grade II*. Launceston has 243 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both Cornwall’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39). Launceston’s listed buildings include Church of St Mary Magdalene, Grade I.
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 4 schools →
Safety
Launceston records more violent crime per resident than Cornwall’s towns or England’s towns, at 45.9 per 1,000 a year
Launceston sits above both Cornwall’s towns (25) and England’s towns (22) on this measure. Homes see 13.1 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 770 crimes inside Launceston’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 115 reports of anti-social behaviour.
45.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 10% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
More crimeLess crime
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual421
Damage & arson92
Other theft72
Public order61
Shoplifting42
Other crime28
Burglary19
Vehicle crime16
Anti-social115
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
45.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Life expectancy in Launceston is shorter than in 90% of UK towns
Women here live to 81.2 on average and men to 75.7 (2019–23). 7.6% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above both Cornwall’s towns (6.4%) and England’s towns (5.2%). The nearest A&E to Launceston is Derriford Hospital, 18.6 miles away.
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
Private renting is more common in Launceston than in Cornwall’s towns or England’s towns: 27% of households
That puts Launceston above both Cornwall’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (21%). 52% of households own their home. Launceston is the cheapest of the 35 towns in Cornwall: its median sale is £195,000.
£195Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Launceston£195K
Typical UK town£277K
By type
Median
Sales
Detached
£345,000
64
Semi-detached
£235,000
63
Terraced
£183,750
108
Flat or maisonette
£115,000
75
52%
of households own their home · England 61%
27%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,000
average private rent a month, Cornwall council area
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer people in Launceston hold a degree than in Cornwall’s towns or England’s towns: 24%
In the comparison, Launceston comes below both Cornwall’s towns (30%) and England’s towns (34%). Over-65s are 22% of the population. Half the people of Launceston are older than 43.9.
43.9median age
LauncestonCornwallEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Under 1515–2425–4445–6465+
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level24%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
WomenEnglandMen
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
Withnoe, Kelly Bray, Pensilva and St Cleer have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Launceston
How many listed buildings are there in Launceston?
That is 10 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Launceston Castle Keep and attached buildings.
Is Launceston safe?
It has more crime per resident than most places its size: 90% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less. Police recorded 770 crimes inside Launceston’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 55% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
How much is council tax in Launceston?
Band D council tax in Launceston is £2,779 for 2026–27, more than in 99% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Does Launceston flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Launceston
Town in Cornwall, England
Launceston is a built-up area of 8,431 people, in the Cornwall council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
Population
8,431 (Census 2021)
Council
Cornwall
County
Cornwall
Region
South West
Area
1.2 sq mi (3.2 km²)
ONS code
E63006785
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
